Secrets

Chapter

26

Second-to-last Rites

Jim, Tally, and Kanjigar's ghost stood at the foot of a European castle, it's pointed turrets backlit by a full moon. The stone stronghold reminded Jim of something right out of a fairy tale - except for the monds of burning books in the bailey at its center. Both Trollhunters and the Silver Lion past and present watched as as soldiers in severe green uniforms dumped more volumes onto the blaze.

"We must be near Berlin, in the 1930s," said Jim.

"Most astute, young Trollhunter," comfirmed Kanjigar.

"It's the time during when the Nazis were lead by Adolf Hitler," Talia said with her arms crossed. "And just like Gunmar. He's killed countless of innocent lives, even dragged children to his sick twisted ambition for conquest and power."

"You certainly know your enemies, Silver lion," said Kanjigar agreeing with Talia's judgement. "These jackbooted thugs routinely destroyed any literature that contradicted their learder's mad vision for the future. But this tomecide also served a secondary purpose."

Jim, Tally, and Kanjigar neared the torched texts, the soldiers oblivious to their presence. Some donned gas masks to avoid breathing smoke as they raked through the cinders.

"They're searching for something," Jim realized.

"The Final Testament of Bodus," said Kanjigar. "A separate text written by the same author of The Book of Ga-Huel before his death."

"I'm familiar with it, from my time," Jim said. "We thought Blinky had gone crazy when he sent the Last Rites on fire. But the ashes revealed a secret message Bodus had left. It spelled out how to collect the Triumbric Stones and defeat Gunmar."

"He left a secret message from within the book only to find it by burning the textbook?" asked Talia impressed. "That's actually quite pretty clever."

"Yes," said Kanjigar. "Although Gunmar had been vanquished to the Darklands by this point, the Janus Order still contracted these misguided humans to find and incinerate Bodus's Last Rites. This, I could not allow."

The spirit nodded his horns to the side, and Jim saw the living Kanjigar steal into the castle through a tunnel dug by his gyre. The soldiers opened fire on the Trollhunter with their machine guns, but he deflected the hail of bullets with the flat of his Sword of Daylight.

Jim stared agog as his predecessor dispatched the enemies with unparalleled skill. Unlike Boraz's blunt braggadocio or Unkar's uncivil attacks, Kanjigar the Courageous took no delight in combattig others. He fought thoughtfully, effciently, never hurling needless punches or insults, only swinging his sword when absolutely necessary. To Jim, watching Kanjigar systemically dismantle this army was like watching poetry in motion. Within minutes, the armored Troll had defeated every single soldier.

"Man, they should've called you Kanjigar the Kick-Butt," Jim said.

"Uh-huh," Talia nodded her head in amazement.

He thought he saw the briefest of smiles flit across his ghostly guide's face before they followed the corporeal Kanjigar into the castle's once stately library. Red banners emblazoned with the two-faced Janus Order insignia hung on the walls. Many of the bookcases had already been emptied, their former contents now burned to ash. Kanjigar the Courageous slowly walked past the cases that had not yet been ransacked, the Amulet on his chest ticking louder and faster.

"It's like a Geiger counter," Jim said. "I didn't know the Amulet could do that!"

"You've already unlocked a great many abilites in your short tenure, Trollhunter. But Merlin's contraption still holds a few secrets you've yet to discover," said Kanjigar.

"I have to admit that is pretty cool," said Talia rubbing the metal of a encarved lions face.. "But I'll bet my Family's Heirloom has a few surpises of it's own too. Like when it gave me my own armor."

Kanjigar sighed and shook his head but also slightly smiled. Jim chuckled a little before returning his attention to the Trollhuner in the library, whose Amulet now ticked incessantly. This Kanjigar paused in front of a shelf and pulled out a dusty old book that had been sandwiched between other unremarkable works. He tore off its false cover, and Jim recognized the actual book that had been exposed underneath.

"The Last Rites of Bodus!" Jim exclaimed to Kanjigar's ghost. "You brought it to Trollmarket. . . ."

"Alas, if only I had succeeded in the other half of my mission," said the spirit.

"So sorry, Kanjigar, but you should've visited this library during open hours," taunted someone from behind, whose voice Jim and Tally recognized immediately.

They turned around and saw Walter Strickler at the far end of the library, dress in all black - and tucking The Book of Ga-Huel under his long leather coat Kanjigar the Courageous raced toward the smug Changeling. Strickler was about to make his attempt of escape until the sound of a shattered glass alarmed them above their heads, then saw the incoming small object fall bouncing onto the floor, and landing right between the two. For a second they got a good look at the olive green egg was when they realized it was a grenade before it exploded blowing them away crashing on the stone floor.

Talia and Jim gasped at first while the ghostly Trollhunter was not surpised. They looked up and saw whomever attacked them came through the window making a perfect landing on his two feet. He rised up wearing a white scarf covering his lower face, with black shades of biker goggles, a leather coat with a cotton collar, ripped jeans with a belt full of pouches, leather boots, and last but not least his hair was short and. . .silver.

Jim and Tally were both at an awestruck by this and yet also very confused. But they know who or what the mysterious figure is, but what they don't understand is why? They were told the lion's were purged, wiped out in the middle ages yet there is one standing right before them. In Kanjigar's memory.

The young Kanjigar and Changeling looked up at the strange mysterious human figure.

"Who are you?" Strickler rose from the ground demanding an answer of the human who dared interfered.

The man spoke in a strong voice facing the two trolls,"I am here for these two special books you creatures have in your hands. Hand them over."

"Who is that?" Jim asked.

"One of the last remaining survivor's of your dear friend's people," Kanjigar said. "That is Leonardo the Rebel."

"Leonardo?" Talia gasped. "He would happen to be. . ."

"One of your ancestor's? Yes." said Kanjigar as they all watch the fight between his lively self face off between the Lion and the Changeling keeping eachother from their books.

"Leonardo, is also a descendant of Leo just like you. His legacy carried on with his son before the massacre. Leonardo stowed away in the army and assisted in this World War protecting the innocent, freeing countless of prisoner's from their camp, and still carries on the quest of hopeing to destroy our most hated enemy."

Talia's slapped drop jaw curved into a smile feeling the sense of pride and how proud of what one of her ancestor's. Feeling the desire of finding more about her family history. If there was a lion in this timeline then maybe. . .just maybe. . .could there be more like her somewhere across the united states?

Leonardo kicked Strickler to the book shelf making the stack of books fall upon him. Kanjigar then tackled Leo and slammed him against the stone brick wall. "Stop wasting my time you fool! I don't want to fight you! And I know that you know that we have a common enemy."

Leonardo struggled against Kanjigar's big arm and gasped, "But do you know who I truly am?" Leonardo's body then began to glow white, push the weight of Kanjigar's force off his body, and kicked him with both of his feet away.

Strickler saw what had just happened and knew right away that this was no ordinary man. He cowardly ran towards one of the book shelves and opened a secret passage. The Trollhunter and the Silver Lion saw this and pursued the Changeling, but the bookshelf closed before any of them could get to Strickler.

"Dang it!" Leonardo punched the self in disapproval.

"This is your fault!" Kanjigar furiously said to Leonardo. "If you hadn't gotten in my way I would've had The Book of Ga-Huel!"

Leonardo turned towards the Trollhunter and said, "I insistantly told you and the Changeling to surrender me the books, I could've carried my mission obtaining the knowledge and power I need for my family to survive and kill Gunmar. Which you possibly might have in your hands right now!" Leonardo tried to take The Last Rites of Bodus from him.

Kanjigar pulled it back from him and said, "Even you do require the key of defeating Gunmar. Despite the power you have within you it still won't be enough. Besides Gunmar is already locked away in the Darklands, so why continue fighting?"

"Because one of these days that monster will return and I need to prepare for what comes next," Leonardo said with pain in his voice. "There is only a little few left in my family. How am I suppose to protect humanity if I can't protect my own?"

The live Kanjigar was taken aback by this even Tally and Jim. Talia could sense the sadness of her ancestor because it was the same pain she had gone through ever since she'd lost her parents. Both Kanjigars completely understood Leonardo and knew that he must somehow be suffering.

Kanjigar calmly looked at the Silver Lion took a deep breath and said, "Alright. . .look. I know this goes against any Trollhunter or any Silver Lion. . .But what if we. . .joined forces?"

"Excuse me," Leonardo surprisingly asked.

"Just me, Vendel, and your family will know about this," Kanjigar explained. "If we work together, protect both our worlds and our people, we may have a chance."

"You're willing to help me kill Gunmar?" Leonardo asked.

"I am asking you to help us prevent the world of Gunmar," Kanjigar said. "I do not know if this book has what you need, but I do know is that many of my predesscor's have tried and never succeed. And I know your kind hasn't as well."

Leonardo crossed his arms and thought for moment if this was the best option or not. He looked back at Kanjigar studied him seeing if he was being serious. Leonardo admittedly extended his hand out offering him to shake, "Deal."

Kanjigar took his tiny hand with his big thumb and index finger and the two agreeingly shook on it. The two warriors busted the door down and entered the secret tunnel trying to catch up to Strickler.

"And you said a Trollhunter works alone," Jim said with his both fists on his hips at Kanjigar.

"You formed an alliance with Leonardo?" Talia surprisingly asked the ghostly Trollhunter.

"He and his descendants have helped me for sometime, but. . ." Kanjigar looked at the girl giving him a bright look of hope on her face. He knew what she was thinking and wondered how to respond. Kanjigar did not want Talia to feel sad knowing that the rest of her family had officially been purged by the Janus Order so instead he said, "We've stopped working for each other."

"Why?" Talia's face dropped to confusion.

"That I do not know," he lied shaking his head.

Jim stepped in changeing the subject and said, "So I'm guessing after from Strickler hightailed out of Europe he brought the book to America, and locked it away hidden in his office. Where it nearly stayed for eighty years."

"Until you and your allies obtained it," added the phantom Kanjigar. "I know not if this encounter aided in your efforts to rescue Blinkous. But my sinceres hope is that you find him, you two, and then find a way to rid this world of The Book of Ga-Huel, once and for all."

"It's hard to say," said Jim as they started drifting back to the Void. "I doubt I'd know any helpful information if I saw it. I'm not even sure what questions I should be asking."

Jim took one last look at the disordered library around them. He didn't know what he was going to tell Arrrgh, Claire, Toby, and Marshall when they get back. This Void Visitation seemed like their last hope of determining the Polymorf's true identity-and finding Blinky-but now Jim and Tally were going back empty handed and-

"Wait!" shouted Jim. "Kanjigar take us back!"

Talia looked at Jim curious as if he was onto something, "What is it?"

The ethereal Troll's Amulet flashed, and they returned once more to the library. Kanjigar's ghost asked, "What vexes you, young Trollhunter? There's nothing new to see here. My memory of this library ended at the exact instant my body left through that passageway."

Jim knew Kanjigar was right, of course. Even now, the library around them appeared static, like someone had pressed the pause button on a video of the past. But Jim turned and faced the last thing he saw as they started heading back to the Void- the red Janus Order banners on the wall. His eyes narrowed, and Jim said, "There may not be anything new, but there is something we haven't seen before, Kanjigar. Look."

Jim pointed to the farthes banner, and the spirit beside him now perceived a face peeking out from behind it-the pig jowled face of a Troll wearing crystal spectacles.

"The Dishonorable Bodus," breathed Kanjigar's ghost. "He was her in this library! He saw everything-yet I did not see him!"

"Don't beat yourself up, Kanjigar," said Jim, walking closer to Bodus's unmoving form. "You were kinda busy fighting an entire castle full of soldier and chasing after Strickler. But you must've seen Bodus out of the corner of your eye, even for a second, for him to subconciously register in this memory."

"But I don't understand. ," Talia said. "We both saw him killed while witnessing Boraz's memory. If he's still alive then-"

"Then whose remains did Boraz the Bold inter at the Colosseum?" asked Kanjigar's spirit.

"I think that's the question we were looking for," said Jim. "Now let's answer it."